Recalls with cars have become so commonplace in the automotive industry, they’re not often newsworthy anymore. However, the latest, involving a mere 20 Mercedes AMG G65 V12s in North America, could be one of the weirdest yet.
Such is the rate at which brands develop and manufacture cars en masse, and the amount of co-operating parts suppliers, that things sometimes slip through the cracks. Sometimes they can be serious. Sometimes they can be headline-grabbing. Sometimes – Takata airbags, anyone? – they can involve millions of cars and take years to resolve.
The Mercedes G-Class, however, is afflicted with something a little more specific and, well, odd. Excessive reverse speeds are achievable, as the cars aren’t furnished with software to limit them.
Result? There is a risk of the cars rolling over when quickly going backwards and then suddenly changing direction. (Dare we suggest, it’s a bit like the original A-Class incident, in reverse?)
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is thus urging owners to take their cars into dealers for a free software upgrade.
We wonder how many owners may take part in a little reversing race before they do so…
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